Locomotive stoker



Dec. 3,1929. N. M. LOWER LOCOMOTIVES; 'STOKER Filed Feb.

18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l v \I m l. \w .7 4. m q

INVENTOR W254: MJ'W Dec. 3, 1929. N. M. LOWER LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed Feb. 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lQii-EEHI I I Ill i I INVENTOR A afim MZIW atent were 3, i929 NATHAN M. LOWER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- HENTS, TO THE STANDARD STOKER COMPANY INC., OF NEW YORK, N. 4. A COR- HU'EION F DELAWARE LOGQMOTIVE STOKER Application med February 18, 1927.

The objects of the invention are to simplily, lighten and improve the eficiency of transferring mechanism for moving fuel from the tuel bin of a locomotive tender to a point of discharge into the firebox of the locomotive. A further object is to provide'for the reduction in size of lumps of coal which are larger than it is desirable to deliver to the firebox.

The invention consists in a structure such as is hereinafter described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a detail plan view of the rear end oil a locomotive and the forward end of its tn tender, with the improved 'stolrer applied thereto, some parts of the Stoker mechanism lltl being broken away and a portion thereof,

being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a detail, central, vertical section an of the rear end of the locomotive and the forward end of its tender with the improved stoker applied thereto parts of the locomotive and tender framing lacing conventionally indicative; i

Fig. 3 is a detail, transverse, vertical sectionon the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. i is a detail, transverse, vertical section on'the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail section on line 5--5 ofan Fig. 4%, and

v Figure 6 represents a portion of Figure 2 enlarged.

A portion of a side wall of the cab of the locomotive .is shown at 10 and of the floor to thereof at 10. The location of the firebox is indicated by the numeral 11 and a portion of the grate thereof at 13. The backhead of the boiler, forming the rear wall of the firebox is designated 12, and the usual hand firing door opening therein is shown at 12.

The tender is generally indicated by the numeral 14 and its fuel bin is shownat 15. The means for advancing the fuel from the tender to the firebox comprises a plurality of endless drag chains 16, shown as four in number, housed within a casing 17 subetantially U-shaped in cross section, having side walls and a bottom. This casing may be andpreferably is formed of a single plate of sheet metal bent to the desired form. 'It

the bin floor, their vertical Serial No. 169,219.

extends backwardly under the fuel bin and forwardly approximately to the fire door opening 12"", such forward end being inclined upwardly, when, as in the form of construction illustrated, the firing door opening is at a greater elevation than the necessary location of the rearward end of the casing below the tender floor.

Each of the chains 16 turns about a pair of wheels, 60, 18, preferably sprockets, the former being mounted upon a shaft fired. across the rear end of the casing and the latter being mounted upon a bar fixed across the forward end oil the casing, Preferably these wheels are loosely journaled on their respective shafts and are spaced apart and from the side walls of the casing by sleeves as shown at 19.

The chains are driven by means of sprocket wheels 20 fixed upon a shaft 21 journaled in the side walls of the casing l7, intermediate of its ends, the sprocket wheels 20 engaging both the upper and lower turns of the chains.

in order to prevent the sagging of the chains and to hold them in driving engagement with the wheels 20, each is provided with a plurality of laterally extending lugs 22, running in lateral grooves in longitudinal bars 23 mounted within the casing and carried by plates 24:, 25 located respectively immediately below the upper turn and above the lower turn of the chains and secured to the side walls of the casing 17 as by means of angle bars, 26. The upper plate 2% and the side walls of the casing constitute a fuel conduit.

The floor of the fuel bin of the tender is apertured as indicated at 27 above the casing 1 such aperture extending preferably from the rear end of the bottom. of the bin to or beyond the coal gate 28, thereby permitting the fuel to fall by gravity upon the upper turns of the chains. In order to prevent the loss of fuel between the sides of the casing 17 and the bottom of the fuel bin, a pair of angle bars 29 flank the aperture 27, their horlzontal flanges slidably engagin the bottom of fl anges slidably engaging the outer faces of the casing walls. These barsare suitably anchored to the casing 100 at indicated at 30,'in order that they may not move lon itudinally or laterally with the casing but ave a certain freedom of relative vertical movement. They are urged upward- 1y against the fuel bin floor by springs as 31, 31 and 32, 32 which react between their horizontal flanges and suitable brackets carried by the caslng. 7

A fuel delivery nozzle 33 is bolted to the 10 backhead 12 as shown at 34, and projects into the lower portion of the firing opening 12,

walls of the'nozzle. As shown, the lower portion 38 of the nozzle 33 consists of a separate casting which may be bolted to the backhead and is also bolted to the upper section of the nozzle as shown at 39. The concave recesses for receiving the rounded ends 36, 37 of the shaft. are formed in part in each of the two sections of the nozzle. Thisform of attachment of the casing 17 to the nozzle 33 constitutes a ball and socket joint thereby per so mitting flexure due to the relative movement of locomotive and tender. In order to permit movement of the rear end of the casing 17 due to changes in the relative positions of the locomotive and tender, the casing is supported by a pair of flat faced wheels 40, '41 running on shelves 42, 43 secured to the frame members of the tender. The wheels 40, 41 are journaled on trunnions 44, 45 projecting from bosses 46, 47 rigidly secured to the side walls of the casing 17 As shown in Fig. 4, the bosses 46, 47 serve conveniently as seats for the rearward air of springs 31, 31 supporting the angle am 29, 29.

. The nozzle 33'discharges upon a distributor plate 48 which projects through the firing oor openin 12" and is rovided at its rearward end with a steam ox 49 having ports arranged to discharge jets over the face of the plate or throwing fuel therefrom and scattermg t over the area of the grate 13. The shaft 21 carrying the driving sprocket wheels 20 1s turned .by power derived from a'suitable motor 50 mounted upon the franie'of the locomotive, the driving connection comprismgatelescopicall-y extensible shaft 51 and a pair of bevelled gears, 52, mounted upon such shaft, and 53 mounted on the shaft 21.

When, as 1n theconstruction illustrated,

' the-forward end of the-casing 17 is inclined upiwardly, another set of jdler sprocket w eels 54 is mounted within the casing 17 at the juncture of its horizontal and inclined sections, these wheels enga g both the upper and lowerturns of the 0 ms 16.

For the purpose of reducing the fuel, when necessary, to proper size for feeding, a longitudinally ribbed crushing roller 55 is journaled in suitable brackets 56, 57 risin from the floor of the fuel bin and prefera ly located in line with the fuel gate 28. Lumps of coal too large to pass under this roller are forced against it b chains'16, causing it to turn and accomplis the crushing action. A shield plate 55 is preferably attached to the coal gate 28 and depends over the crusher roller 55 for the purpose of preventing accidents to the fireman.

A section of the floor 10" of the cab may be tor plate 48. Should cloggmg occur, as by the presence in the fuel of extraneous matter such as pieces of rock or metal, the direction of movement of the chains maybe reversed by reversing the motor for the purpose of disengaging them. Such clogging may occur at the crushing roller but is not apt to occur at any other point.

Inasmuch as the fuel transferring mechanism is of considerably less width than the fuel bin, the operator may have access to the fuel at either side of the bin should hand firin become necessary.

While a practical and preferred formof construction is shown and described, various changes may be made therein within the scope ofthe invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a locomotive and its tender, the latter having an opening in its floor, of a casing flexibly attached to the backheadof the locomotive and projecting under the floor of the tender and being free to move relatively thereto, its rearward portion being open to receive fuel through an aperture in the tender floor, an endless conveyor in the' casing and means for drivin the conveyor.

2. he combination with a ocomotive and its tender, the latter having an o ning in itsfloor, of a casing flexibly attache to the backhead of the locomotive and projecting under the floor of the tender and being free to move relatively thereto, its rearward portion being open to receive fuel through an a rture in the tender floor, a lu'rality of en ess. drag chains mounted wit in the casing, and means for driving the chains.

3. The combination with a locomotive and its tender, the latter having-an o ning-in its floor, of a casing flexibly attach to the backhead of the locomotive and projecting under the floor of the tender and being free to move relatively thereto", 'open to receivefuel through an aperture in the'tender floor, a plurality of endless drag chains mounted within the casing, shafts adjacent to the ends of the casing for carrying the chains, and means for driving the chains.

4. The combination with a locomotive and w its tender, the latter having an opening in its floor, of a casing flexibly attached to the backhead of the locomotive and projecting under the floor'of the tender and being free to move relatively thereto, its rearward portion being open to receive fuel through an aperture in the. tender floor,- a plurality: of endless drag chains mounted within the casing, shafts adjacent to the ends of the casing'for carrying the chains, the. forward shaft being comprised m in the means for attaching the casing to" the backhead, and means for driving ,the chains.

5. Ina locomotive stoker, in combination, a delivery nozzle adapted for fixed attachment to the backhead of a locomotive boiler and to deliver, to an opening therein, a transfer conduit pivotally attached to the nozzle and adapted to project underthe floor of the tender of a locomotive, a plurality (if endless 'd drag chains the upper turns thereof traveling m over the floor of the conduit, laterally channeled bars flanking each chain, lugs carried by the chains engaging the bar channels and driving sprocket yvheels engaging the chains intermediate of the ends of the conduit.

6. Ida locomotive stoker, in combination, a transfer conduit, a set of endless drag chains, within the conduit rollers mounted adjacent the ends thereof over which the chainslturn, laterally channeled bars flanking 4 each chain, lugs carried bythe chains and engaging the bar channels, and driving sprocket wheels engagin the chains intermediate of the rollers on w ich they are mounted. 7. In a locomotive stoker, in combination, a transfer. conduit, a set of endless drag chains within'the conduit rollers the ends thereof over which thechains turn,

laterally channeled bars flanking each chain,

lugs carried by the chains and engaging the w bar-channels, and driving'sprocket wheels mounted below-the conduit floor and'engaging both. runs of the chains intermediate of the rollers on which the chains are mounted.

its rearward portion being mounted adjacent nozzle and projectingunder the tender and I being free to move relatively thereto and being upwardly open in its rearward portion to register with the floor openin a series of endless drag chains extending rom end to end of theconduit, means for driving the chains, and a freely rotatable crushing roller -mounted adjacent the forward end of the floor opening and cooperating withthe chains. 10. In a locomotive stoker, incombination,

a fuel delivery nozzle adapted for attachment to the backhead of a locomotive, a transfer conduit, a rod extending across the forward end of the conduit and having its ends rounded to engage and turn in complementary recesses in the side walls of the nozzle, endless Y rag chains mounted within the conduit and turning about the named rod.

11. In a locomotive stoker, in comb natlon,

a fuel delivery nozzle for attachment to the backhead of a locomotive, such nozzle comprising two sections having in their side walls matingcavities together forming approximately segments of a sphere, a fuel transfer conduit delivering to the nozzle and attached thereto-by a rod having its ends rounded to en age the named cavities.

2. In a locomotive stoker in combination, a fuel delivery nozzle for attachment to the backhead of a locomotive, such nozzle comprising two sections having in their side walls mating cavities to ether forming approximately segments 0 a sphere, a fuel transfer conduit delivering to the nozzle and attached thereto by means of lateral rounded bearing surfaces engaging the namedcavitie's.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

NATHAN M. LOWER.

8. In combination, a locomotive having a sur ace of the tender floor adiacent the open-' x and projecting 

